Pocket Guide: New Orleans French Quarter 3 stars IHG Hotels

With its mix of sacred and profane, the French Quarter defines laissez-faire. This 85-block area is home to Bourbon Street’s rowdy bars, as well as Royal Street’s upmarket antiques. The devil’s music—in the form of New Orleans jazz—thrives at Preservation Hall. Nearby, hymns accompany Mass at St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square. A block away, French Market vendors hawk foods and souvenirs.